MR, WITHEFORD ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11745, 29 August 1901, Page 6

MR, WITHEFORD ON THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. Mr. Witheford, who Las not yet thoroughly recovered from a bad -attack of influenza, resumed his seat in the House this evening, and spoke on the Financial Statement. He said he was a supporter of the present Government, and he intended to support them, but when he felt that there was a slight tendency ..to visionary legislation, and when he could not get the Government to pay sufficient attention to providing work for the unemployed, he thought it was his duty, out of pride for the Government,' to try and stimulate them. Proceeding to deal with the possibilities of the goldfields, if they were properly developed, Mr. Witheford instanced the case of the Waihi mine, which was at one time shut down because.the owners did not know how to dealwith the ore, and said there.was a number of other properties of a similar character. If the Government would take practical steps to demonstrate the value of our mineral resources they would obtain the same results as those obtained at the Waihi mine. While blaming the Government for not giving enough practical attention to these matters, Mr. Witheford said members were all to blame because they did not individually do what they could to strengthen the hands of the Government. Through this want of development of the goldfields our able-bodied miners were leaving the colony, and in any of those men New Zealand might be losing an R. J. Seddon. (Mr. Hutcheson: "God speed them.") Continuing, Mr. Witheford pointed out that there was no better produce market in the world than a goldfields market. He thought the colony had had sufficient military renown, and he would new like to see the Ministry do something in the way of encouraging commercial and industrial renown. Dealing with the lands settlement he regretted that there was no mention of expenditure upon land in the Auckland district, and advocated the settlement of the waste lands of the North. He did not agree with the sentiments expressed in the Financial Statement concerning the carriage of mails by the Suez route, which was a week longer than the 'Frisco route. ; From a commercial and a defence standpoint the 'Frisco service was undoubtedly the line which the colony should support. It was policy to work in with a Power that was going to take up a great commercial position, and by working in a friendly spirit with the American people, by subsidising this mail service for five or seven years, would be to act upon strict business lines. From a defence point of view there was even more reason why the colony should be on a friendly footing with America. Mr. Witheford did not approve of the Government proposal tc build 10,000-ton steamers to connect the colony j with Australia, because he thought such vessels were unnecessary in view of the present excellent services. Dealing with the question of railway construction he said he thought it would be in the interest of the whole colony to push on this work in all parts of New Zealand as quickly as possible, and he urged that everything 'possible that was required for rolling stock, etc., should be manufactured in the colony, as by purchasing from the foreign maker the Government was really giving a bonus to him.